Tyler Shough Does It Again, Leads Saints to Comeback Win Over Ravens

Tyler Shough delivered another fourth-quarter comeback as the New Orleans Saints rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 24-17 on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Shough led New Orleans on consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead quarterback sneak with 1:28 remaining, before safety Julian Blackmon intercepted Lamar Jackson on Baltimore's final possession to seal the Saints' first victory of the season.

The comeback marked arguably the biggest victory of the Kellen Moore era as New Orleans erased a 14-6 halftime deficit and outscored Baltimore 18-3 in the second half.

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Shough didn't produce the gaudy numbers he did in last week's overtime loss to Detroit, but he was far more efficient. The second-year quarterback completed 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown without an interception while adding the decisive touchdown on the ground.

After struggling to finish drives for much of the afternoon, Shough caught fire when the Saints needed him most.

Second Half Comeback Makes up for Sluggish First Half

New Orleans entered the fourth quarter trailing 17-9 before Shough engineered a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. He completed all five of his passes for 52 yards on the possession, finishing it with a 21-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Chris Olave.

The Saints then went for two, and Travis Etienne bounced outside to the right and reached the end zone to tie the game at 17.

New Orleans' defense quickly gave the ball back to Shough by forcing Baltimore into a three-and-out, and the Saints quarterback took advantage.

Shough directed a methodical 16-play, 68-yard drive that kept Baltimore's offense on the sideline and eventually brought New Orleans to the goal line. After being stopped on his first quarterback sneak, Shough punched it across on his second attempt on fourth down to give the Saints a 24-17 lead with 1:28 remaining.

Baltimore had one final opportunity to respond, but Blackmon ended the threat by intercepting Jackson's pass intended for Rashod Bateman, completing the comeback.

Shough received plenty of help from his top three targets.

Olave led New Orleans with eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, while Juwan Johnson caught four passes for 66 yards. Devaughn Vele added five receptions for 64 yards as the trio combined for 216 of Shough's 252 passing yards.

The Saints' defense also tightened considerably after halftime, holding Baltimore to three points over the final two quarters. Linebacker Pete Werner led the way with 11 tackles, including a tackle for loss, while adding a sack and a quarterback hit.

Saints Flip the Script

That second-half performance was a dramatic turnaround after Baltimore controlled much of the opening 30 minutes.

The Ravens entered halftime leading 14-6 after outgaining New Orleans 228-137 and averaging 7.4 yards per play compared with the Saints' 4.9. Baltimore finished its two best first-half drives with touchdowns, while New Orleans repeatedly settled for field goals.

Derrick Henry opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run. He entered halftime with 51 yards on 11 carries, while Jackson completed 13 of 16 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.

New Orleans found more success offensively in the second quarter, but its inability to finish drives kept Baltimore in control.

Shough completed 12 of 15 passes for 102 yards in the first half and added 21 rushing yards. Vele emerged as his biggest downfield threat with three receptions for 53 yards, but the Saints struggled to establish their running game.

Daniel Carlson finally put New Orleans on the board with a 23-yard field goal with 3:48 remaining in the second quarter, cutting Baltimore's lead to 7-3.

The Ravens responded with their biggest blow of the half when Jackson connected with Bateman for a 22-yard touchdown with 28 seconds remaining.

Instead of heading into halftime down 11, the Saints answered. A strong kickoff return by Barion Brown gave New Orleans favorable field position before Shough connected with Vele for 13 yards. Carlson then drilled a 47-yard field goal as time expired, trimming Baltimore's advantage to 14-6.

New Orleans opened the second half with another productive drive but again failed to reach the end zone. Carlson converted from 51 yards to make it 14-9.

Baltimore answered with Tyler Loop's 49-yard field goal, restoring an eight-point advantage at 17-9.

Those would be the Ravens' final points.

A week after Shough helped the Saints erase a 21-point deficit before ultimately falling to Detroit in overtime, New Orleans found itself chasing another game in the fourth quarter.

This time, Shough completed the comeback — and the Saints' defense made sure it stood.

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